Spring wheel



4 M.. MHHIN@ SPRING WHEEL Filed Fb; 25. 1920 MM @sags llllatenterll their@ lilftll-y llllllllllit ll lill www ll all srnrne- "wr-inni..

.application l'lerl Ztebruary iste. ESerial Tilo. 361,131.

To all whom it may concern: i

Be it known that ll, Cuantas il.. liroorns, a citizen ot the United States, residing` at "llleslran, in the county of lllallace and @tele ot Kansas.) have inventedcertain new and useful lmprovenients in a tllprinp` lll/Wheel, oit

which the itollowing is a specification.

The invention relates to vehicle wheels having a yieldable outer or tread portion same to meet different conditionsT various elli `changes in the torni, proportion and minor details ot construction may be :resorted to without departing' from the nature ot the invention as claimed hereinatter.

lileterring` to the drawings hereto attached Figure l isa side view oi `a portion oit a vehicle wheel embodying the invention,

parte being broken away to show more clearly the relative arrangement ol' the cooperating' elements.

lligure 2 is a transverse section ol the outer or rim portion oit the wheel, the parts beinp; illustrated on a larger scale.

lligure 3 is a sectional detail ot a part oi the :inner annular member. i

llipgure l `is a transverse section ol a modi- :lied :torno ol' wheel. y y

llipgure 5 is a sectional detail et the outer portieri ot the modilication illustrated in lling. el. y

l@orrespondingand like parts are referred to inthe :tollowing description and indicated in the several views ol: the drawings by like reference characters.

The wheel in its general construction coinprises a hub l, spokes 2 and a rim, the latter iembodyinginne.1 and outer hollow annular members and parts co-operatinze)1 therewith.

lllhe rim ot the wheel comprises a tell'v il, a telly band l and inner and outer hollow annular members, the inner annular member being iixed `and the outer annular member being loose and having' a limited eccentric movement which is provided to compensate ttor shoclr and vibration. 'lllie inner hollow annular member embraces opposite sides ot the telly 3 and has side portions projecting; outwardly troni the telly in parallel relation to receive inwardly extending portions et the outer annular member. rllhe inner annular member comprises inner and outer rings, a pair oil" complemental rings being; provided tor each side ot the telly. Both rings have their inner portions curved in wardly to :Fit opposite sides ot the -tellyn the curved `portions litting one against the oth-r as indicated most clearly in llig. 2. rlhc outer portions ot the rings oir' each pair are spaced apart to receive between them the inwardly extending side portions oct' the outer hollow member. '.llhe inner hollow member is indicated generally by the reference charactor il. and the outer annular member by the letter' ld. rllhe `inner ring` ot the member il comprises the parte 5, 6 and 7. rlFhe part 7 ot' each inner ring curves to lit snugly against a side portion of the telly. 'llhe part G is ott set inwardly to overlap the edge portion ot thetelly band Zl. 'lhe part 5 extends outwardly parallel with the plane ot the wheel. The outer ring1 oit the inner hollow member ll comprises parts tl and 9. The part 8 curves inwardly to contorni to the curved portion i" ot the inner ring); and lies close against the same. rll`he part 9 entends inwardly parallel with the part 5 ot the inner ring;v and is spaced thereilroin a distance Corresponding to the extent et the oilset portion 6, ot the inner ring. il space 10 is torined between the outer extending; portions 5 and El of the inner and outer rings. it. plurality oi? bolts l1 entend through registeringgl openings :termed in the ielly 3 and the curved portions 7 and il oit the inner and outer rings comprising the member it.. rl`he inner edges et the rings are notched to receive the spolres 2.

llie'outer member l comprises side rings and a band l2. the latter connecting; the outer portions oit the side rings. Each side ringI ot the member B comprises portions i3 and l/l. rlille part curves outwardly. The part la extends inwardly and is adapted to obtain a snugllit in the space l0. rllhe parts ll oit the side rii'lgs are parallel and the outwardly curved portions lil l'lare. The meeting` edges oil: the band l@ and side rings are inwardly flanged as indicated at l5, and are adapted to receive bolts. rivets or other fastening means whereby the parts are made secure. rllie band 1Q) may be ot any Yform in cross section and constitutes the tread ol' the wheel and it is obvious that the same may, il" preferred, be iitted with any type Sil orA tire such as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The spokes 2 are hollow as indicated most clearly by the sectional detail in. Fig. 1. A rod 16 passes through each of the spokes 2 and is secured at its inner end to the hub1 in any substantial way. The outer portion of the rod 16 projects into the space enclosed by the annular hollow members A and B. Contractile helical' springs 17 connect the outer'end of each of' the rods 1G with opposite side portions of the hollow annular member B. The springs 17j incline laterally and' inner rings comprising the member A. Short rods 18 are securedat' their .inner ends to the telly of the wheel and project outwardly a distance equalto the projecting ends of the rod? 16. This is best' illustrated` in Fig.y 1'. Springs 17 connect the outer ends ot the rods 18 w-ith the flanges 15 ina manner hereinbeforev described; A rod 18 is locatedl betweenI eac-h two of= the spokes thereby doubling the number of* the pairs off oppositely inclined springs 17. The springs 17 are normally under tension and exert a pulling force and by reasonot1 their disposition the central portion of the wheel is practically spr-ing suspended and is adaptedito receive an eccentric movement as the load point' changes when the wheel is in serv-ice. By having the central portion ofV the wheel spring suspended and mounted to receivevan eccentric movement provision-is hadfor -compensation for shock andf vibration whereby easy riding results and the mechanism ot. a

mot-or propelledy vehicle is subjectedr to a.

minimum amount of shock and consequentwear and tear.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4 and-the detail view thereof the wheel comprises a hub 1, spokes 2 and an outer hollow rim which comprises inner annular member C andanouter annular member D both annular members being hollow and the outer member having a limited eccentric movement with reference to the inner annular member. In addition to the spokes 2, stays 19 are interposed between thehub and rim and serve to reinforce the rim. The inner portion of the annular member D fits loosely within the member C and its outer portion is widened to provide ample tread 'for sustaining the load and preventing the formation of ruts in the surface of they road. Each of the spokes 2 is provided with a rod 2O which is fixed. The outer end portion or each rod 2O extends into the hollow rim and its outer cndis connected withside portions of the outer part of the member D by means ot oppositely inclined cont actile helical springs 21 in a manner similar to the connect-ion between the outer ends of the rods 16 and 1S and opposite side portions of the member B. The openings in the inner wall of the member D through which the rods 20 pass are elongated circumferentially whereby to malte provision ttor the movementot the part D. This is indicated at 22 in Fig. 5. lt is observed that in each instance7 the central portion of the wheel is spring suspended the springs being provided in pairs and the springs ot each pair being oppositely inclined and servingto connect the outer end.L1 of laterally disposed rods with side portions of the outermost part of the rim.

Having thus itully described my invention what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A resilient wheel comprising a hub. an inner rim portiom an outerl rim portion slidably associated with the inner rim portion. tubular spokes rigidly connecting the inner rim portion and the hub. radially disposed rods connected with the hub and extending through the spokes and' terminatingA short ot the outer rim portion. oppositely disposed outwardly inclined springs connectirmr the outer ends of the rods with the opposite side faces of the outer rim portion7 whereby said outer rim portion is connecteddirectly with the hub.

2. A resilient wheel comprising a huh. un inner rim portion, an outer rim portion slid ably associated with the inner rim portion. tubular spokes rigidi)Y connecting the inner rim portion and the hub, radially extending rods itted in the spokes and extending into the rim portions and terminating short of the outer wall o'l the outer rim portion. oppositely directed outwardly inclined coil springs secured to each rod at thc outer terminal thereof and to the opposite side walls ofy ,the outer rim portion. relatively shortI rods rigidly secured to th@ inner rim portion intermediate the spokes extending radially from the inner rim portion and termii'iating short ofthe outer wall ot the outer rim portion. and spring means connected with the terminals ot the relatively short rods and with said outer rim sections.

In testimony whereof l afli: my signatur in presence ofl two witnesses.

CHARLES A. KTGGINS.

lVitnesses J. AUG. J oHNsoN. J oHN A. ANDERsoN.

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